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Preventing infection is one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant germs—and can also reduce avoidable antibiotic use. No precaution makes infection impossible, but practical steps by patients, visitors, healthcare teams, and people at home can lower opportunities for germs to spread.
Why infection prevention matters
Some infections caused by antibiotic-resistant germs are difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies infection prevention and control as a key approach to limiting antimicrobial resistance.
WHO’s current infection-prevention page reports that 50% of infections associated with healthcare can be prevented through infection prevention, and that 25% of health facilities lack basic water services. WHO does not state a year for these figures on the page’s figure panel. They are global context, not estimates of any one person’s risk.
How to reduce infection risks in a hospital or other care setting
Clean your hands and speak up politely
Clean your hands before eating and after using the restroom, coughing or sneezing, changing a dressing, or touching frequently handled surfaces. Follow the facility’s instructions for hand hygiene. If using sanitizer, cover all hand surfaces and rub until dry; CDC’s patient guidance says this takes around 20 seconds. If washing with soap and water, scrub all hand surfaces, including between fingers and around and under nails.
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You can ask visitors and staff to clean their hands before touching you, a wound, or your equipment. Gloves do not replace hand hygiene. If you need a simple prompt, CDC suggests: “Before you start the exam, would you mind cleaning your hands again?”
Give the care team relevant history
Tell your care team if you have had a recent hospitalization, received healthcare outside the country, or previously had an infection caused by an antimicrobial-resistant germ. That information can help the team choose appropriate precautions and care.
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Ask about catheters and other devices
If you have a urinary catheter or central-line catheter, ask why it is needed and when it might be removed. CDC notes that leaving a catheter in too long increases the chance of infection. Do not adjust, disconnect, or otherwise handle a medical device unless your care team has shown you how.
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Allow staff to clean your room and the care environment. Tell the care team promptly about fever, redness, pain, or drainage at an IV or surgery site, or if an infection is getting worse. If you are concerned about an infection or worsening illness, CDC’s safe-patient guidance offers the question “could this be sepsis?” as a prompt to raise that concern with the care team.
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What healthcare teams should do
CDC recommends standard precautions for all patient care, based on the risks of the care being provided. These include hand hygiene, protective equipment when exposure is possible, and appropriate handling and cleaning of care equipment. Patients and visitors can take part by following facility instructions and raising concerns, but responsibility for clinical infection-control procedures rests with the care team.
How to lower infection risks at home
Make hand hygiene routine
Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Cover all hand surfaces with sanitizer and rub until dry. These are CDC recommendations for community settings; healthcare facilities may have additional instructions.
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Care for cuts and wounds as instructed
Keep cuts clean and covered until they heal. Follow the specific instructions from your clinician, particularly for a serious wound, surgical site, catheter, dialysis port, or wound affected by a chronic condition. Clean, dry bandages can help keep a minor cut covered, but they are not a substitute for clinical assessment when a wound is serious or getting worse.
Clean and store devices according to their instructions
Ask your care team to explain how to perform any home-care procedure, including hand hygiene, cleaning or disinfecting equipment, and safe storage. Follow the instructions for the particular device. Different equipment may require different methods, so do not assume that one product or cleaning method is suitable for everything.
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Reduce everyday spread and keep vaccinations current
When possible, stay home while sick. Cover coughs and sneezes, avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, and keep recommended vaccinations current. Vaccination helps prevent infections, which can mean fewer opportunities for germs to spread and fewer occasions when antibiotics might be considered.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use antibiotics only when appropriate
Antibiotics treat certain bacterial infections; they do not treat viral illnesses such as colds, flu, or COVID-19. Ask your clinician whether an antibiotic is necessary, and use it only when prescribed or otherwise indicated by a healthcare professional. Follow the prescriber’s instructions, and do not take another person’s prescription.
Which hand-cleaning option should you use?
| Setting | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hospital or other healthcare setting | Follow the facility’s hand-hygiene instructions. Patients and visitors can clean their hands at appropriate moments and ask staff or visitors to do so before contact. |
| Home or other community setting | CDC recommends soap and water. If they are not readily available, use sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. |
When to ask for individualized advice
General prevention guidance cannot determine how to manage a specific exposure, wound, symptom, infection, or medical device. Ask your healthcare team for instructions tailored to your care, and follow applicable local public-health guidance. In the hospital, report new or worsening symptoms to the care team rather than trying to manage them by changing a device or treatment yourself.
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